Alarm letter-box



(No Model.)

Gr. F. GIRVAN.

ALARM LETTER BOX.

' No. 378,166. "Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

llNiTnn STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

GEORGE F. GIRVAN, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

ALARM LETTER-BOX.

gPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,166, dated February21, 1888.

Application filed October 17, 1887. Serial No. 2.32.602. (No model.)

.To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. GIRVAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Little Falls, in the county of Herkimer and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Ala-rm Letter-Boxes,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in alarm letter-boxes; and itconsists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, thatwill be more fully setforth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of aletter box alarm embodying my improvements, showing the same attached tothe panel of a door. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improvedletter-box alarm, a portion of the lid or cover being broken away. Fig.3 is partly a top plan view and partly a longitudinal section of myimproved letter-box alarm. Fig. 4 is a detachedperspective view ofportions of the same.

A represents a rectangular neck or collar, which is made of cast metal,and is adapted to be inserted in an opening, B, in a door or window, C,in the usual manner, so as to form an opening in the said door orwindow, through which mail-matter may be passed to the interior of thecompartment or into aletter box or receptacle (not shown) attached tothe inner side of the door or window. The said neck or collar A isprovided on its outer side with a vertical surrounding flange-plate, D,which bears against the front side of the door or window, and is securedthereto by means of screws E. The front side of the neck or collar isinclined downward and outward, as shown, and the upper flange, D, isprovided near its ends with outwardly-projecting lugs or cars F.

G represents a door or lid which covers the inclined outer side of theneck or collar, is provided at its upper edge with lugs or cars H,whichare pivotally connected to the ears F by means of bolts or rivets I, andis further provided on its inner side, near its edges, with a groove, inwhich is placed a rubber or other suitable packing, K, that is adaptedto bear against the outer edges of the neck or collar, and therebyefitect a tight joint therewith, when the lid or cover is closed, toprevent rain or snow from enterin To the inner side of the lid or coverG, near one end thereof, is secured a segment-arm, L, which is providedon its inner side with a series of teeth or corrugations, M.

N represents an arm which has its upper end pivoted to a lug, O, thatdepends from the upper side of the neck or collar. The lower end of thisarm N bears againsta stop or stud, P, on the lowerside of the neck orcollar when the said arm is in a vertical position.

R represents a concavo-convex gong or hell of suitable size, which issecured to the outer side of the arm N by means of ascrew, S, thatpasses through a central opening in the gong or hell and engages anopening in the arm N.

On one side of the gong or hell, which is opposed to the segmentarm L,is formed 9. lug or offset, '1, that is arranged in the path of theteeth or corrugations of the segment-arm.

U represents a coiled retractile spring that has one end connected tothe lower end of the arm N by means of a screw, Y, and has the other endattached to a stud, W, near one end of the neck or collar, by means of ascrew, X. The function of this spring is to normally keep the arm N inavertical position,with its lower end bearing against the stop 1? andthe lug or offset T of the gong, arranged within the path of the teethor corrugations of the segmentarm L.

The operation of my invention is as follows: .Vhen the postman raisesthe lid or door G, in order to introduce mail-matter through the neck orcollar, the segment-arm L is swung through a portion of a circle and thetoothed or corrugated edge of the same engages the lug or offset T onthe gong or hell R, and, as the latter is rigidly connected to thepivoted arm N, causes the said arm to vibrate to and from the stop P,and thereby cause the gong to sound an alarm, as will be very readilyunderstood. When the door or cover G is closed, the same operation isrepeated and the alarm is again sounded.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. The combination, in analarm for letterboxes, of the lid or door Cr, havingthe toothed orcorrugated arm L, and the hell or gong attached to a support capable ofvibratory motion and engaged by the toothed or corrugated arm,substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a letter-box alarm,

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of the hinged door orlid G, having the toothed or corrugated arm L, thepivoted arm N,

adapted to vibrate, and the bell or gong R, se- 4 cured to the said armN and arranged in the path of the teeth on the arm L, whereby the arm Nwill be vibrated and the gong or bell sounded when the lid or door isopened or closed, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a letter-box alarm, of the door or lid G, havingthe toothed or corrugated arm L, the pivoted arm N, the stop P, thespring pressing the free end of the said arm normally against the saidstop, and the gong or bell secured to the said arm and having one edgearranged in the path of the teeth or corrugations of the arm L, wherebythe arm N will be vibrated and the bell or gong sounded In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as my own. I have hereto affixed my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. GIRVAN.

Vitnesses:

W. G. MILLIGAN, E. J. GoFFIN.

